


a burning hill

by youriko



Series: end of it all [2]
Category: K-pop, LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, F/F, Oh well!, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmates, how do u even spell that, thats right. its a doozy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 06:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14099406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youriko/pseuds/youriko
Summary: another announcement comes, this time saying that the meteor will hit roughly september 17, 3475. she looks at her timer. she does the math.she meets her soulmate on september 10, 3475.jiwoo realizes that maybe the entire universe is just a giant, really mean joke. she clings to that week she’ll have like a life raft, and doesn’t let go.(or: chaewon and jiwoo are fated to be tragic, but that doesn't mean they can't try.)





	a burning hill

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!!
> 
> first of all thank u vee @ikuzono on twt, @ikuzonos on ao3 for looking over this!! it means a lot uwu!! vee is kinda my big writing inspo i highly suggest checking out their works, even if u aren't in the fandom!!
> 
> second of all chuuwon is incredibly underappreciated in this fandom and i will fix this with the power of my writing. i promise i'm gonna finish this one okay. i PROMISE
> 
> the gays are here

chaewon has always been somewhat of a realistic person.

 

not in a pessimist in denial way, either. she figures things out through logic, only applying emotion when necessary. wishful thinking gets her nowhere, but neither does doubtful thinking. she keeps her expectations low and her head high.

 

learning about soulmates in school had been rough. most of the kids were overjoyed at the idea of not having to think for themselves. a few of the kids were more skeptical about it. chaewon had done her research; while there’s a chance she could end up happily with her soulmate forever, there was also a chance they just wouldn’t click. and that was that.

 

living on the streets in a not quite apocalyptic society made her rougher around the edges. she paid her landlords in drugs, coins, and sweet, sweet lies. she had a few friends as school, but only as to not stick out as the outcast. she kept her life on two different paths; survival and education. the former always came first. 

 

she ate what she could. she wore what she could. she slept when she could. when it rained, she cashed in her favor for whoever was dumb enough to trust her that week. she wasn’t trouble enough to cause a reputation, she wasn’t sweet enough to cause people to talk about her. 

 

in every way, she is perfectly average. it was nice.

 

she had plans. she wasn’t going to be a teenager forever. maybe, she could get a scholarship. maybe, she could join the local gang. whatever kept her on her feet. 

 

just because she wasn’t going to be a teenager forever, though, didn’t mean she’d ever get to be an adult.

 

the announcement came when she was sewing together her ripped pants, courtesy of a rabid raccoon let loose from a local factory. suddenly, her x-motion went black, and bright red text showed on her screen;

 

**METEOR ON DIRECT PATH TO EARTH. COLLISION TIME STILL UNDER DISCUSSION BY THE G.O.W.**

 

it flickered a couple times, then went back to her movie, as if it wasn’t the most important news she’d ever gotten.

 

“it’s ending,” she whispers to the raccoon, sedated and sleeping. “it’s all ending.”

 

she checks her soulmate timer. 1 year, 24 days, 3 hours, 9 minutes, 47 seconds. 

 

she’s a realistic person. she doesn’t believe in god, can’t believe in any god that would allow their earth to run itself into the ground and fall apart around itself, only to cruelly take it out at the last minute.

 

she prays.

  
  
  
  
  


jiwoo isn’t a realistic person. whatever the situation is, she always seems to greatly overestimate or underestimate the outcome. she’s getting a puppy? oh, it’ll probably die before it arrives. her parents love her? they’d never leave her.

 

both were wrong.

 

jiwoo grew up rich and unpopular. her friends said she’s too bright, too loud, too  _ annoying _ . she sat alone at lunch, twirling her pure golden bracelet, humming to herself.

 

when she learned about soulmates, she didn’t have high hopes for it at first. it seemed too good to be true. it was too fairytale-ish, like something that would happen before the world became a dump.

 

but when she asked her parents if it was real, her parents who would never lie to her, they showed her their timers. they were counting up at the exact same time. 

 

maybe, she could have this. one person who wouldn’t abandon her. one person who wouldn’t scoff when she talked. one person who loved her.

 

she fell hard for it.

 

she read, watched, indulged in every piece of media that included soulmates. from children’s movies to young adult books, she was absolutely enraptured in the idea that she would meet her soulmate at exactly this time, and they’d fall in love. she wanted that so badly. she threw out anything that didn’t tell her soulmates were destiny, because they were wrong, they had to be. this was all she had left.

 

besides, you know. a couple million dollars in her bank account.

 

she was staring at her clock when she got the announcement. 1 year, 24 days, 3 hours, 9 minutes, 23 seconds. her x-motion went black, like everyone else’s, and red words showed up on her screen, just like everyone else’s, and those words read the same as everyone else’s. 

 

a vague but definite warning that the world was coming to an end before it was already going to.

 

truthfully, jiwoo didn’t know what she believes in. her soulmate timer? the things her teachers say? god? 

 

she doesn’t sleep that night.

  
  
  
  
  


her parents leave a week later, in the middle of the night, only leaving a note explaining that she’ll have to take care of her brother for now on. she doesn’t believe it, can’t believe it, or what does she have? it has to just be a joke. a really mean joke.

  
  
  
  
  


another week passes. there’s news of the richest leaving in space crafts with the last of humanity’s resources. her brother cries. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


another announcement comes, this time saying that the meteor will hit roughly september 17, 3475. she looks at her timer. she does the math. 

 

she meets her soulmate on september 10, 3475.

 

jiwoo realizes that maybe the entire universe is just a giant, really mean joke. she clings to that week she’ll have like a life raft, and doesn’t let go.

  
  
  
  
  


chaewon knows there’s no avoiding the timer. no matter if she stays inside, huddled in the protection of 5 blankets, there’s never been a case where soulmates don’t meet at that fated second. there have been things like car crashes, kidnappings, even natural disasters, just to make two soulmates meet. either way, it seems a lot safer to just go with the flow than make the universe force it upon her. 

 

what she can do, though, is make sure it doesn’t go further than that.

 

the market is always the most crowded place in town, no matter the time, and no matter how close to the end of the world it was. if she hid in the crowd, only caught her soulmate’s eyes for a couple seconds, she could escape her fate. she’d always been quick on her feet, and if worse comes to worst…

 

she tightens her hold on her blaster.

 

the market bustles with chatter, getting a bit louder each time someone tries to steal. it used to be unheard of, but nowadays, there’s no incentive to staying free. what certain death does to people is expected, but it still hurts.

 

she checks her timer. five minutes.

 

instead of the excitement that should creep up on her, all she feels is dread. 

 

out of the many voices in the square, suddenly, one rises up above the others.

 

“ _ you!” _

 

oh, shit.

 

miss baker was a shop owner who she had swindled a couple years ago, but unlike everyone else, she had taken it personally. she prided herself on her wit and strength, though she was most infamous for her looks and her temper. after all this time, chaewon still heard rumors of miss baker putting out money for the return of a girl named gowon with a face she’d taken on for a week. 

 

recognizing people in person, however, was different.

 

she can hear the stomps of miss baker storming through the square, and she doesn’t bother to look back and confirm that she is, in fact, after her. she just starts sprinting.

 

it’s instinct, at this point.

  
  
  
  


jiwoo has been waiting for this moment for years- no,  _ decades _ . she fully expects fireworks, turtle doves, and a cheering crowd. she glances at her timer every few seconds, only to curse herself when she realizes what little time went by. people gave her odd looks; a little rich girl fidgeting in the middle of a cheap square; but don’t bother her. she thanks the stars for that little breath of relief.

 

two minutes and thirty four seconds. approximately 6 seconds from the last time she checked it. 

 

oops.

 

the murmuring of the crowd starts to crescendo. jiwoo isn’t fixated enough on her clock to ignore it, not when it starts to distract her. frustrated, she looks up to see what’s interrupting her dreams. 

 

in the distance, jiwoo can make out carts, animals and baskets flying up, directly on a path towards her. she squints a bit, but she can’t quite see what’s causing the ruckus. the people around her start to gravitate away, muttering about a baker.

 

the first amendment to her initial description is that whatever’s coming is going faster than she thought.

 

the second is that there’s a smaller, but definite wave as someone weaves through the crowd, a few yards before the destruction.

 

the third is  _ oh no oh no oh NO- _

 

as whoever is running away zips past her, she looks up to see one of the most terrifying women she’s ever seen.

 

her arm is completely robotic, her good one holding a large mace, she has eyes made of rubies, and she is, wow, very close.

 

the woman picks jiwoo up by her collar, tugs her up to her face, and snarls: “where the fuck did that little bitch go?”

 

before jiwoo can begin to formulate a response, she sees something just behind her head, and drops her. letting out a screech, the woman gives chase again. 

 

jiwoo blinks dazedly. 

 

the fourth thing she realizes is that she can’t leave anyone to that fate. 

 

after picking herself up and dusting herself off, she turns on her heel and races to follow.

  
  
  
  
  


chaewon has speed. chaewon has endurance. what chaewon does not have is stealth, especially when she uses the first two skills.

 

using a pole to swing herself around, she darts into an alley, sweat collecting in her sandals. she can hear the pounding of heavy footsteps, and hopes to whatever stars watching her she’d lost her, because this was a dead end.

 

desperately, she ducks into a basket, hugging her knees to her chest, slowing her breathing. 

 

the stomping gets louder,

 

louder, 

 

louder. 

 

at its loudest point yet, it stops.

 

“gowonnie,” she croons, “i saw you come in here.”

 

chills run up her spine. she doesn’t move a muscle.

 

“come on. come out, and i won’t be as harsh.”

 

tears prick at her eyes.

 

“oh, who am i kidding? you were always smarter than that.”

 

the stomping resumes.

 

a week before the world ends. only a week. she can’t hurt her that much in that amount of time. she’ll find more important things to do than torture the girl she’s been chasing after for years. she won’t use the things she saw in the basement that one day. miss baker can be kind, generous. she gave her cake before she took her in. when she walked to school, miss baker would wave at her. she’d even help her with her math problems some days. everyone had always been scared of her, but chaewon saw there was more generosity than anger.

 

(she took advantage of that.)

 

the lid of her basket opens, and miss baker grins down at her. “long time no see, huh?”

 

for the second time in her life, chaewon prays.

 

miss baker’s head is yanked back.

  
  
  
  
  


jiwoo doesn’t know the story. jiwoo doesn’t know a whole lot, actually. but ever since the bullies started getting more and more physical, she decided what she did need to know was how to fight.

 

the only time it had come to fruition was once, when she socked a girl in the face and knocked her out. people pretty much left her alone after that. 

 

she’ll need her old skills again, though.

 

jiwoo sees the woman’s head peering into a basket when she enters the alley. there’s a week left, and this person is terrorizing someone. this is what the woman does in her free time, in her last days. 

 

stalking forward, she grabs the back of the woman’s hair and  _ pulls _ .

 

as she pulls her head towards the ground, her knee goes up, slamming against her neck. she can hear a choking sound, and it’s  _ satisfying _ .

 

regaining her senses, the woman roars in rage and pushes her feet into the ground, sending her head into jiwoo’s stomach, knocking the breath out of her. groaning, jiwoo falls down as the woman gets up.

 

“you should’ve stayed out of the way,” she says, and holds up her robotic arm.

 

jiwoo just barely rolls away as a laser is fired into the wall behind her. grabbing the lid of a trash can, she holds it in front of her, slowly scooting forward. 

 

the lid is yanked out of her hand, and jiwoo lunges for her legs. taking a calf in her hand, she brings it up with all her strength. the woman sways, but doesn’t fall.

 

she may have underestimated this opponent.

 

the woman grabs her by her hair and brings her up to face level, then brings up her robotic arm once again. charging her laser, she grins. 

 

“you’re just another dumb street rat, aren’t you, rich girl?”

 

a blaster activates.

 

the woman falls away to reveal a girl, holding a gun shakingly, fear in her eyes, whos timer is at exactly zero. 

 

she remembers with a jolt.

  
  
  
  
  


to be fair, chaewon  _ had  _ just been running for her life. it’s not her fault she forgot.

 

but when she sees the girl’s timer, the girl who just saved her, she knows she fucked up.

 

for a few seconds, everything’s silent. she doesn’t move, and neither does the girl, her  _ soulmate _ , across from her. it gives her apt time to realize how beautiful she is, and how that’s just made everything so much worse.

 

“y-you,” chaewon stutters.

 

“oh my god,” her soulmate says at the same time. 

 

“thanks,” they tell each other in unison. 

 

the girl giggles. “ah, sorry,” she articulates clearer. “we. we’re soulmates, right? i’m not dumb?”

 

“no, no,” chaewon replies quickly. “you’re right. we’re soulmates.”

 

the alley falls back into silence.

 

“listen,” chaewon says after a few moments. “if you’re like, really excited about me, or whatever, i’m sorry. i’ll disappoint you.”

 

the girl goes to say something, until chaewon holds up a hand.

 

“no, shut up. i’m not making this any harder than it has to be. i’m sorry for dragging you into this. it sucks, getting punched by her. trust me, i know. but we can’t do this. not when there’s a week left. not when it’s gonna get us both hurt in the end. it’ll be easier if we just leave it at this. i don’t have any money, i can’t get you anything…” she trails off. “all i can give you is my thanks, and no more trouble.”

 

chaewon nods at the girl. “goodbye.” 

 

she feels bad, seeing that look on her face. heartbreak. she knows it well. still, she reminds herself; it’s better this way. she walks past the girl, and back into the crowd.

 

before she can quite escape, delicate fingers are wrapped around her own.

 

“you can make it up to me,” she speaks. her voice is really nice, she thinks, and turns to her soulmate again. 

 

one last time, she tells herself.

 

“you said it yourself,” the girl says. “only a week left. it wouldn’t be that bad to spend it with each other, would it?”

 

chaewon frowns.

 

“come on. you owe me, even though i’d do it a thousand times over. save you, i mean. you saved me too… just. one week. this is all i’ve ever been waiting for, the only thing that’s genuinely excited me.  _ please- _ ”

 

chaewon pulls out of her grip. “i can’t. it’ll hurt us.”

 

“i don’t  _ care _ ,” the girl says, her voice dropping an octave. “i’ve never cared. what can i do, to convince you, that this will be worth it?”

 

chaewon stares the girl down, but she meets her eyes. she’s firey. she’s spirited. she’s too good for her. chaewon’s always been selfish, though.

 

“i don’t know. i don’t think there’s anything,” she tells her truthfully. “meet me at the cafe tomorrow at 1000. you better not be lying.”

 

she’s going to regret this.

 

she will regret this.

 

(she gives in).

**Author's Note:**

> ahh i hope u all liked it! if u did, please leave a comment im Starving thank u!!!
> 
> if u ever wanna contact me im on twitter way too much @ggeiitist 
> 
> title creds: a burning hill by mitski
> 
> chapter title creds: pearl diver by mitski
> 
> (please listen to mitski im fucking begging u)
> 
> the gays are out


End file.
